Residents reject council claims park events boost biodiversity – South London News

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Militants poured cold water on the support of a labor councilor that Brockwell Park’Biodiversity is a result of festivals like Mighty Hoopla taking place there.

Councilor Donatus Anyanwu, who holds the portfolio for events, told a Lambeth Council meeting on 17 July that the variety of nature found in the park in Herne Hill, south London was due to the money generated by the events held there.

Answering a question from Green Party councilor Scott Ainslie, Cllr Anyanwu said: “The events raise money that can help us build on the green upkeep of the park. The biodiversity that we have in Brockwell Park is a result of the investment that is generated by the events.”

But residents, who called on the council to stop holding large commercial events in the park at the same meeting, rejected Cllr Anyanwu’s suggestion that the festivals would boost Brockwell Park’s biodiversity.

In a statement released Friday, Jen Hawkins and other local activists said: “Biodiversity cannot be bought or significantly increased with this scale, duration and footprint of events. It is irrational to damage one part of the park to improve another.”

They added: “The movement of species due to disturbance will also affect the biodiversity of an area. It’s a complex interaction that has nothing to do with finances. The money for biodiversity comes from the park fee; a small portion of event revenue and a small amount for such great disruption and damage.”

Two weekends of back-to-back festivals at Brockwell Park in late May and early June have left parts of the green space damaged. Photos taken at the park in June showed a large area of ​​mud and tire tracks where there would normally be grass.

Cllr Ainslie, Green Member for Streatham St Leonard’s, said the Labour-led council needed to back up its biodiversity claims with evidence.

He said: “At this point, I don’t think this information is really in the public domain. It would be nice to see clear, indisputable evidence of this.

“It’s about making sure the park is for everyone. It would be good to review the decision-making process around the events we have.”

Campaigners who spoke at Wednesday’s council meeting expressed concern about the impact of events at the park on the environment and people living locally.

Residents said St Matthew’s Project – a local children’s sports organization – could not play any 11-a-side football matches at Brockwell Park during the season because of damage to the green space from a Pokemon event held there in 2023. .

They added that further damage to the park from events earlier this year meant the charity was unlikely to resume games there when the new season began. A petition set up two weeks ago outlining their concerns about the big events at Brockwell Park has already gathered more than 2,200 signatures.

Pictured above: Councilor Donatus Anyanwu defended the use of Brockwell Park for events at Lambeth council meeting (Image: Screenshot of Lambeth council meeting)

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